Create new industries via green technologies

I was raised on the beaches of South Florida and the protection of our natural resources is critically important to me. Immediately following the BP spill, I spent six months in the Gulf of Mexico leading the efforts of Coastal Environmental
Services to remove oil spilled in the BP disaster. The spill was devastating not only to the environment, but also to the coastal communities, fishermen, restaurant owners, and hotel workers of the region.
The ripple effect was enormous and is still being felt.

America's environmental policy should not only be crafted to preserve our ecosystems and jobs--it should be designed to create new industries. Green technologies and advancements that create
greater efficiency will be crucial to our growth, and it is in our national interest as we begin to extricate ourselves from reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels.